Prior to the Suns & Timberwolves facing off in the playoffs, ESPN Senior NBA Writer Zach Lowe took to his podcast The Lowe Post to speak about why the Timberwolves were at a distinct disadvantage in their first-round matchup. Despite being the third seed in the Western Conference and having a year that defied expectations, especially after Karl Anthony Towns missed 18 games in the home stretch of the season with a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee, many thought the Timberwolves were a fluke.
Even despite the emergence of Anthony Edwards as a budding superstar and Naz Reid succeeding in his role so much that he eventually won Sixth Man of the Year, Lowe and many NBA fans believed that the Suns were a “worst-case scenario” for the Timberwolves.
“I think this was a worst-case scenario for Minnesota. I think as a first-round opponent the Suns quietly won 49 games and other than two inexplicable losses one to the Spurs without Wemby and another to the Clippers when they were down 35 to 4, have played mostly pretty damn well for the last 20 games. And they just bring some match-up problems against the double big lineups that have tilted toward the Phoenix strengths and not the Minnesota strengths. Minnesota's size has not won the day against Phoenix's shooting and play-making in that small big conflict. I'm picking Phoenix to win,” Lowe said in his podcast episode on April 19th.
Although Lowe is surely entitled to his opinion, one he's earned from adept NBA coverage and correct analysis of the league at large, he was surely wrong here. By and large, the NBA public was mistaken about the Timberwolves' status as contenders. Minnesota isn't a flash-in-the-pan, trendy team. They were built for this moment. Edwards-Towns are proving themselves as a duo worthy of acclaim in the league and Gobert is proving that he isn't “overrated”.
The Timberwolves Sheer Domination Of The Suns Starts With Defense
What the Timberwolves, led by NBA Coach of the Year contender Chris Finch, are doing on defense should've been what we all expected. They ended the season as the top defensive team in the league and, as the saying goes, “defense travels”. The Timberwolves deployed interesting defensive coverage on the Suns from the start of the series to now.
Finch made Karl Anthony-Towns a primary defender on Suns star Kevin Durant and Gobert regularly picks Durant up on the switch when Nurkic comes up to set a screen for him. Although Durant is still playing well, averaging 24.7 points per game on 50% shooting, the defensive matchups have allowed McDaniels, the team's best defender, to pick up Devin Booker.
Booker is having an uncharacteristically average series. Through the first three games of the series, he's averaging 20.3 points per game, down from 27.1 points per game in the regular season. His field goal shooting and three-point percentage is slightly down from 49% from the field and 36.4% from three in the regular season to 43.2% from the field and 26.7% from three.
Booker's play is the result of the Timberwolves' defensive scheme as well as Jaden McDaniel's hounding defense. Having Rudy Gobert, who's in line for his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award, as a help defender isn't a bad look either. If Booker drives past McDaniels, he has to find a way around Gobert which hasn't been an easy task.
Also of note, Minnesota has been picking up the Suns full court, causing them to burn through the clock to set screens in the backcourt to get Beal & Booker free. The Suns just haven't been able to crack the code on how they could beat this Timberwolves team, causing them to be largely outclassed on the defensive end.
But, the Timberwolves' defense hasn't been the only story of this series. Anthony Edwards is at the start of a playoff run that has the chance to cement him as the defacto face of the NBA.
The Coronation of Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards rose to the occasion in the regular season to propel Minnesota to the third seed in the West. But, he's stepped up his game in a tremendous way that has led the Timberwolves' offensive attack. He's averaging 28.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in the first three games of this series, including a 36-point outing in last night's decisive win over the Suns to put them in an untenable hole. Edwards is as advertised and is on a great trajectory to be the face of the NBA, as we have seen him draw headlines all series.
From his Game 1 moment with Kevin Durant, which many viewed as a passing of the torch moment, to him doing 1990's WWE Attitude Era DX chops to taunt the Suns as Minnesota cruised to victory, Edwards is compelling. His game is almost a call-back to an old-school era of basketball with his sheer athleticism and penchant for mid-range buckets. Many fans compare him to Michael Jordan, largely because they bear a slight resemblance, but the T'Wolves star reminds me of Dwayne Wade. And, let's not forget about what Dwayne Wade did in the 2006 NBA Playoffs.
Before the Miami Heat Big 3 was even a thought, Wade led the Heat to a resounding Finals win over the Dallas Mavericks. Wade finished that year's playoffs averaging 28.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists, not a far cry from what Edwards is averaging now. If he continues his high level of play and Minnesota makes a run to the Finals, it would be hard not to deny him the title as one of the league's preeminent stars.
The Suns Were Never A Super Team
The biggest reason the Timberwolves are dominating the Suns is probably due to roster construction. The Timberwolves roster seems built for a deep playoff run, especially as Anthony Edwards continues to emerge as a star. In the Summer of 2022, Minnesota made a gamble that we all can agree ultimately paid off. The team acquired Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, and a treasure trove of draft picks.
Many at the time thought the trade was asinine. How is Gobert going to fit on this team, especially alongside Karl Anthony-Towns? Plus, they gave up so many draft picks, will Minnesota come to regret the trade if things don't work out? Never mind the fact that the Timberwolves' defense was near the bottom of the league in the 2021-2022 season and, with Gobert at the helm, they now boast one of the best defenses in the NBA. Many thought the trade would go down as one of the worst in NBA history.
The reception for the Suns was the opposite when they traded Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, four future first-round pick swaps, and six future second-round picks to Washington for Bradley Beal last offseason. While there was some skepticism around the move from the NBA community, many fantasized about the possibility of a prolific offensive attack. At their best, Beal, Booker, and Durant are offensive masterminds who excel at shot creation. The excitement was understood. They surely had the potential to be a fun team.
But, acting as if this team as currently constructed was a true contender in an improved Western Conference was laughable. The Suns dealt with significant injuries to Beal that kept him out of the lineup to start the season. Booker also battled lingering injuries as well. When they were together on the court, they were a good team but never one that truly stood out as a contender.
The roster wasn't as well constructed as people let on as defense was a glaring issue and real playmaking ability outside of Beal, Booker, and Durant. Plus, Beal simply wasn't the star that he was in Washington before he was hit with injury misfortune. Sure, Beal is still immensely skilled and knows how to find his shot and score. But, he was never going to be what tipped the scale in the Sun's favor for a championship.
Beal's averaging 19.0 points per game in the series. Outside of a 28-point, six-three-pointers performance in Game 3, he's had a subpar series that isn't becoming of a third star in what is supposed to be a “super team”. If anything, the Suns are a top-heavy roster that is ill-fitting for a team coached by Frank Vogul.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are balanced. They have two defined stars, a high-level defensive wing and a defensive anchor as well as a point guard that is adept at making the right play. Then, their depth on the bench is amazing, with Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and their other role players proving their worth.
The Timberwolves' success was always inevitable. Now, the rest of the league is waking up to the possibilities.
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